Many people admitted to hospital as private patients can find themselves faced with out of pocket expenses, or 'gaps'.
CBHS has been working to reduce the gap and encourage doctors to inform patients of any potential gaps prior to treatment.
Access Gap Cover is a medical gap cover arrangement designed to minimise or eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for medical procedures conducted in hospitals or day surgery facilities.
With Access Gap Cover your doctor can bill CBHS directly, and if they charge the Access fee, you will have nothing extra to pay. Even if your doctor charges above the Access fee, you will be able to find out what gap you may have to pay before receiving treatment.
If your doctor chooses to participate in Access Gap Cover, they must provide you with a written quote for the cost of your treatment. Currently, many members do not receive information about the cost of medical treatment until they receive their doctors' bills.
Doctors can choose to participate in Access Gap Cover on a patient-by-patient basis, so in order to reduce the likelihood of paying medical gaps, it's important for you to discuss Access Gap Cover with your doctor.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
Listed below are some questions to ask your doctor. Remember that it is up to your doctor whether to use Access Gap Cover.
1. Will you treat me under Access Gap Cover?
2. Will I incur any out-of-pocket expenses, and if so, can you provide a written estimate of how much?
3. Will any assisting doctors also use Access Gap Cover, and if so, how can I obtain a quote for their services?
4. Are you prepared to send the bill to CBHS directly?
Click here to search for registered participating doctors.